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Naperville
Friday, March 29, 2024

Art Talk – The Riverwalk Fine Art Fair Takes the Stage

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Thirty years ago, the Naperville Art League (NAL) hosted the inaugural Riverwalk Fine Art Fair, the first juried fine art fair in the area. Noted at the time for being the largest outdoor art exhibition ever mounted in the western suburb, the show gained international recognition, thanks to the creativity of its organizers and partners. Bruno Bottarelli of Marquette Properties; Chris Schulz, head of Naperville’s Performing Arts Group; and NAL’s Dee Pasternak planned an art-filled weekend that included not only the art exhibition and sale, but a gallery opening and a Seurat-inspired tableau, as well.

Under the title of “Art Comes Alive,” the visual and performing arts melded together in a reenactment of the famous “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” masterpiece. Dozens of volunteers from the Riverwalk Players, Naperville community and NAL dressed in rented period costumes and posed for a receptive audience. An Associated Press photo that captured the staged event traveled across the world-wide wire and made Naperville the focus of international attention.

Today the art fair stands on its own merit. Since its inception, the show has grown to become the Naperville Art League’s premier event. Garnering kudos from participating artists and attendees, it consistently appears on “best of” lists from local publications and artists’ resources. Because of its reputation, the fair attracts the attention of the top artisans in the country: hundreds of them apply to the juried event with the hopes of being chosen for one of 130 booth available spots. The selected artists then join together to present a colorful display of fine art and fine craft.

As complements, the DuPage Children’s Museum will be on site with an activity tent in the parking lot at Jackson and Main, and the DuPage Symphony will perform in the amphitheater at the west end, giving attendees an opportunity to shop, interact or just relax and enjoy.

The 30th Annual Riverwalk Fine Art Fair is presented by Main Street Promenade from 10AM-5PM Sat. & Sun., Sept. 19 & 20 on Jackson Avenue and along Naperville’s Riverwalk.

For more info, call (630) 355-2530 or visit www.napervilleartleague.com.

The Riverwalk Fine Art Fair is funded in part by the City of Naperville.

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Debbie Venezia
Debbie Veneziahttp://www.artsdupage.org
Debbie Venezia is the Director of Arts DuPage, a DuPage Foundation initiative. Contact her at debbie@dupagefoundation.org or visit www.artsdupage.org.

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